What I would have to say about this is that viewers should watch past episode 5 and decide from then on. Personally, I think the story became clearer after that episode and it could be the deciding factor to continue on or not. For some reason, it is the turn point of the whole drama because it reveals a lot of the hidden past from the main character. Another thing is that this drama could have ended at episode 14. They still had to prolong it and go through all new plot problems to fill in those last 2 episodes which is a bit of a clincher for me. I hate fillers in my drama because it’s frustrating. Nonetheless aside that, it was still an enjoyable watch.
The drama has an annoying lead female character called Chae Ro Woon acted by Park Hye Soo. I actually loved this girl ever since I’ve seen her in the drama “Age of Youth” and she sort of resembles Moon Geun Young so I have a soft spot for her, but not her character in this drama. I am irritated as to how the writers and producers let her portray her character. For the first few episodes of the drama she was TOO aggressive for my liking to the point that I’m exasperated and simply want to give up on her. However, in the later episodes her character became redeemable and more acceptable which was sort of a relief. Then there’s the shy boss Eun Hwan Ki acted by Yeon Woo Jin. I really liked the guy, even though this is the first drama I’ve seen him as a lead. He did justice to his character and definitely made people misunderstand him. Yet, he looked so cute even as he seemed so helpless in every misunderstood situation. Then there’s also the actress Han Chae Ah who’s character’s name is Chae Ji Hye and acted as Chae Ro Woon’s older sister. I know her role is quite minor in all of this but she’s the catalyst of the whole storyline so I wouldn’t want to leave her out. I like how mellow and deep her character is. She also has this sense of softness around her, not too beautiful but charming enough to be liked as she is. I like how her own story unfolded in the drama and how her part explained a lot of things despite her minimal appearance.
There are dramas which I could solely focus on the main leads and there are dramas in which I love the sub characters more than the main ones. This is one of those dramas, whereas the supporting roles are so much more enjoyable that I want to know more about their background stories. Another thing about the supporting characters, two of them came from the drama “Another Miss Oh” while there are others from the same drama who made a cameo. That tidbit threw me off in a laughing fit because for one, I love AMO and all the characters that’s why seeing them here in this drama was double the fun.
The cinematography was alright since most of the scenes were caught indoors and in small spaces but when they do some roof top shot and outdoor scenes, they could really be lovely. I truly appreciate those special angles in which the framing of the main subject in the scene becomes picture perfect. Music wise, only one song got stuck in my head and that’s the opening song for the series and nothing else. The OST wasn’t really anything special to remember by. Overall the drama was fun, I couldn’t say it was light because it did made me cry at times and it had its own heavy-heart-clenching scenes. I might re-watch this someday most likely because I missed the sub characters and I would recommend this for those who wants to watch something in between humor and drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't know why but I enjoyed this drama so much. This is even my second time watching it. I guess I do get why some people might not like it as much, and I agree that the show has parts were it is lacking. But I cannot overlook all the things they did right!! I liked their relationship, I loved how she embraced him and that there wasn't that typical miscommunication, "i am so disappointed that you lied to me and deceived me"-drama. Fun Hwan Gi's character is definitely the highlight and the best thing about this show. The character itself is so relatable for introverts and so unique in this kdrama world, it's wonderful to see someone like him come to life on screen. Though I have to say, it wasn't just pure shyness in the beginning, it was literally a phobia, social anxiety, something that is way more serious than introverted-ness. Anyway, the actor did such an amazing job at portraying him, I seriously in my head there is a Eun Hwan Gi out there in the world. It was that good and natural. I cannot stop appreciating the fact that EHG, did not change much and that he stayed true to himself and his character traits, they didn't change him and i LOVED THAT! He is still shy, still does not like talking in front of many people, is still super considerate and still overthinks in his head. This show doesn't tell you to change. It tells you to find a way in order to live more comfortably. To live proudly as who you are. I also loved how he understands and appreciates that every person is different and how everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. He understands that and helps his employees be more confident and thus work more efficiently. He might just be one of my favourite drama protagonists ever!Was this review helpful to you?
Truly relatable and remarkable
After stumbling across a video of this drama that had the title 'Introverted...' plus a steamy kissing scene included, I knew I had to give this a go. This drama centers around a CEO who finds it extremely strenuous to be in large groups and expressing his words that he often retreats. His monotonous life has been turned around upon meeting the new hire, Chae Ro Woon, but does she come with good intentions? Where her boast of taking revenge on the boss who killed her sister suddenly turns into a sweet crush who has the desire to see the best in him and show that to the world, she becomes bewildered. It was a difficult watch, however, I found it to be fulfilling.
The main plot of the story was compelling, mysterious, and momentous in how this incident affects the lives of four individuals coincidently, but it lacked a backstory to the character involved; ultimately ruining the suspense of what the drama was going for. The first episode did well in delivering the mystery that would carry the rest of the show, but the progression was quite slow and, in my opinion, that suspense diminished overtime for me. I loved how they portray a shy boss working their way through life being severely misunderstood and isolated from the world around them. The writers showed an accurate representation of what goes on in the mind of a socially anxious person, which I will credit them for. The aspect of having that one person who is there to listen, encourage them to not change and find the best communication method that works for them was sweet and touching. The idea of having polar opposite main characters for the romance part of the drama has been made to be endearing, but quite chaotic, frustrating, and complicated, but I suppose this is the reality of it.
My main downside to the series is that they delivered the comedy scenes with the serious scenes together which did not work out. One minute I am in a pit of laughter, the next minute, I had to switch up my mood which ruins the momentum of what the scene was going for in the first place. Nevertheless, the drama did deliver great plot twists that took me by surprise and I overall enjoyed this drama for its great meaning and the adorable scenes that came with it.
Characters
Each character had their part in character development, which was what I loved.
Eun Hwan Gi - For his relatable, caring, and lovable nature, he is my favourite character from the series. His competency in his job and determination to step out of his comfort zone on multiple occasions to express his ideas and feelings with others was admirable that you will cheer him on as the drama progresses. His character development and relationship development with his staff in the series is definitely remarkable.
Chae Ro Woon - It is understandable that her character is unlikeable at the beginning with her obnoxious, immature, and energetic personality. But, her character development was absolutely amazing. Though with that being said, there was not anything that made her stood out to me, meaning I did not see a unique trait that differed her from the other characters which were quite disappointing. Despite that, I can easily understand the nature of her character, as she was the type of character that just needed a big hug.
Kang Woo Il - Portrayed as the idealistic character with his confident personality paired with his ability to articulate himself through public speaking, he is the character that everybody dreams of being. But beneath all of that lays a melancholic and controlling life of being under his father-in-law's company and working hard to ensure he gets the spot in the electoral election. I liked the depth we see in his character that goes beyond being a co-CEO of Brain.
Eun Yi Soo - Her character was quite bland and I found her to be unlikeable in some way, but as the story unravels, I found that she had a lot more depth to her than meets the eye as we see more of her vulnerabilities and scars.
Silent Monster staff - In particular, I loved the relationship that Gyo Ri, Se Jeong, Yoo Hee, and Sun-Bong had developed with one another and with Hwan Gi and Ro Woon. It was very lovely to see their relationship develop from being awkward to family-like. It is definitely a highlight of this show which I will miss the most.
The acting was well-executed and incredible.
Music
Each song complimented every scene immaculately. There was no song I disliked. I love Memoery as it is a song you can imagine yourself listening to on a walk to the park and thinking about life.
Rewatch value
Although I do not tend to watch a series again, there are more moments in this series that I would happily watch again, but overall, I would not sit and watch the whole drama again.
To conclude, I found this drama to be a great watch and one that I will treasure the most due to how I could resonate with the struggles and feelings that the characters went through. This series is about forgiving yourself, accepting and being comfortable with who you are and your style of doing things, and developing confidence in expressing how you think and feel. Pair this with a complicated, but heartfelt romance, it is definitely worth investing in if you are a fan of romcoms and melodramas.
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But it's the characters that made and wrapped the drama in shiny gold packaging for me. I know there are many people saying that the actress playing Ro Woon is extremely irritating, but somehow, I never thought that. Every action of hers fit her personality (nosy, loud, argumentative etc.) perfectly, so I could hardly fault either the actress or the character.
Which brings me to the acting. I thought most of the acting by the main and supporting cast were pretty solid. They did full justice to their characters (though I wish some of them got more screen time, but oh well). The leads were great and their chemistry was PERFECT. It's been a long time since I've seen the main couple so well casted, but they really did make an excellent pair. Their opposing personalities were surprisingly well matched and Eun Hwan Gi as a character was absolutely adorable. He was the main highlight of the show, to be honest. The couple and Hwan Gi were MAJOR points in favour of the drama, almost fully overshadowing the negatives.
The negatives were minor for me, since I could so easily look past them, but a main one would definitely be how much the beginning was stretched. There were a few unnecessary scenes which, I felt, could have been edited out for clarity. Hence, I agree that the first 5 episodes were pretty boring, which was why some people (including ones I know) dropped the drama early on.
But I highly recommend you push on, like I did. It gets MUCH better, the pace stabilises and the whole drama gets more interesting.
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It was about a guy that is a turtle and hides from the world but he's hiding so much and has the world on his shoulders, now there's love and chemistry but that wasn't the case too, it was secrets, failures and family pressure. It was pain and happiness all in one and that was just great to me.
The acting was fantastic in my opinion, except I get where the FL was over the top because I was like "bro" lol but it got better over time. The ML is just a good creepy character if that makes sense, like legitimately good at playing such a weird dude and he wasn't bad at all, he really just had a big heart and I liked that. I liked the drama, I liked the bad characters, I liked the good characters, I hated people but loved some more. It was a lot of ups and downs so the acting was just really spot on.
Music was great!!!
Overall, nothing mind blowing. It was a great show and I'm glad I watched it.
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Another great series
I thought I was not going to like it . I did not like the abrasive behaviour of the new recruit at Brain PR company until I came to understand what her motive was . She was still grieving from the suicide of her sister which to her was so much out of character . No explanation was given to her grieving family except that of depression . Chae Ro was on a mission to discover the truth behind her sister's suicide and to reveal the abominable and depraved character of the company CEO whom she thought had a hand in her death . The drama reveals the reactions ,consequences and ravages that such a death can cause to family and to the workplace . The ambitions and guilt of all the people involved trying to cover up the truth to save themselves and their company .I was hooked once again .
The shy boss whom she thought had a hand in her sister's death could not have been more likeable . Watching him struggle she begins to understand him better and romance has an opening . She had a new mission to help him come out of his shell . It is absolutely well done , moving and touching to see him become a new person so to speak doing all the right things to help people who work for him as well as helping them become confident and caring . Yeon Woo-jin is fantastic in the role of the introvert boss . A great show , a great cast and good soundtrack . What is there not to like ??
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A premise should be that there was a script review after the 4th episode. It was for the best, yet it didn't manage to completely heal the drama that suffered from a bad start untill the end and that put 'bad' pillars stones to the drama.
STORY
The story was good enough to catch the attention just by reading the plot. Just a office drama: so projects, team work, relationship between coworkers. There were two interesting things: a suicide case, and a peculiar boss. The suicide case remained unsolved till the ends, this kept the drama interesting, but made the main couple suffer and being awkward.
The main lead condition was really true to reality.
ACTING/CAST
I enjoyed the cast much.
The male lead performance was outstanding: so true to reality and so relatable. He opened slowly to the world and that's something I really appreciated.
The main girl was nothing more than okay. At first she was the most hateful character ever: so childish and immature. I feel her character suffered much from the script review, because it became nice. However, I can't understand why people say that she went from bad to extremely good and nice. To me it was just nice and kind, but nothing more.
The second leads were actually quite okay. Their characters were complex and kind of deep.
Side characters were nice, but nothing much.
MUSIC
Nothing much to say. There were some nice songs, but the ost did not become one of my favorite.
REWATCH VALUE
I don't think I would watch this again. Mostly because of what I'll write down below.
OVERALL
Introverted Boss, as I said, had a lot of potential... but not to be a romantic comedy.
The suicide case's shadow is always lingering and tormenting the characters who end up revealing details gradually. Despite the nice atmosphere in the office, I couldn't help to feel bad for that girl who killed herself.
Also I couldn't feel the chemistry between the main couple. I wanted them to be together just for him to overcome his shyness. Plus, there were moral obstacles against their relationship, they were pretty huge and actually - in my opinion- insurmountable. The main girl became just the kindest girl ever, she accepted people who ruined her life, who hurted her sister, changing completely from the beginning of the drama.
The second main lead was overly egoistic, but I think it was becase writers were not so clear in portraying his character. The main lead's sister had an interesting character, but again, I felt they dealed with it a bit childishly.
Still, I gave this drama 8 because it had lots of pros: the main character, the nice pace, the kissing scenes.
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The story itself is not top notch and I would not anticipate thrilling action or brilliant back story (it wasn't that bad though) from it but the strenght of this drama lies somwhere else. I strongly believe that the characters are what makes this drama unique and special. Have you ever watched a drama or a movie where you totally didn't get motivation beyond character's decisions? In this drama all the characters are given proper psychological background and you got to see their own struggles and the reason beyond their actions. There is also no stereotypicall villain and you you can not fully hate anyone (trust me irritation over female lead will pass) what's more you can see great character development.
Moving on to social anxiety topic I think that is another highlight of this drama and makes wievers reflect on few things. It coused me physical pain to watch how lonely and missunderstoodwas Hwang Ki was despite his trully warm and carrying personality. Placing the action in PR agency helped a lot to emphasize this issue in an interesting and creative way.
Lastly I would like to adress a bit touchy subject which was mix of sweet comedy with tragedy in the background. I personaly enjoyed quite a bit the comedy side. Hwang Ki and the rest of Silent Monster crew were just hilarious and adorable at the same time. Transitions between melodrama and comedy were subtle but I didn't have a problem with that so I guess it depends from a wiever if she or he would enjoy it.
About the music: typicall drama OST it was ok but not great.
Overall I think that the drama despite being not for everyone is still rather underrated. I think that people who are looking for complex characters, are interested in sociall anxiety topic or want a drama with refreshing male lead would enjoy it quite a bit.
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This review may contain spoilers
With most dramas you can judge if you'll like them by the first three episodes. Some even by the first episode. Introverted Boss is not one of them. With IB you have to definitely watch three or more episodes to understand what this drama is really about and in what direction it will go.Story: IB has funny lines/situations where I couldn't stop laughing and everyone seeing me thought I was going insane. It also has some really touching drama episodes where I bawled my eyes out. The characters are amazingly charming (at least by ep 4 or 5) and I can tell you, the couples who will emerge over time will be so couply you will think you landed in a romance novel. It's sweet, cute and funny.
IB also presents an amazing amount of character development.
What I didn't like was the fact that they made some scenes and issues longer than they would need to be.
Acting/Cast: I would love to say they were perfect but there were some scenes where the acting seemed a little bit awkward. As for the chemistry of the cast: That was nice and seemed comfortable, so great job on the casting!
Music: I really love the music in this drama and I looked up ALL the songs I heard. I loved it and they used it at the best times.
Rewatch: Maybe some scenes but I don't think I will rewatch the whole drama anytime soon.
Overall: IB is strange at first, turns into funny and fluffy, into touching and heartbreaking and then offers a nice ending. Tbh they could've skipped episode 15 and most of episode 16 in my opinion. Although I liked the ending scene too much to be cut out (that's all I'm saying, no spoilers)
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This review may contain spoilers
thoughts on introverted boss:I really don't know how to feel about this drama. I know I enjoyed it, but was left feeling a little meh at the end. It wasn't a bad ending; all my questions were answered and everything fot resolved. But still, for some reason, I feel a bit iffy in my heart, idk it might just be me going insane from being stuck inside all day every day lol.
Storyline
This is my first time watching a drama with this storyline. It's unique, both in the social anxiety aspect as well as the female lead plotting revenge. I loved loved LOVED the heart felt stories, mainly regarding the stuffed panda and Yoo Hee and her kids. I didn't know it would be so melodramatic though. Definitely TW for those sensitive to suicide. It was tough to watch and also a but frustrating. I was reading other posts that talk about how Ji Hye doesn't seem like the type to commit suicide without leaving something behind for her family. She was very family orientated and all around quite happy, so her suicide was very sudden and I wished they touched on it more. Idk if episode 5 was a smart idea or one that revealed everything too soon. It was nice to know what happened, but it became redundant with the flashbacks. I think that, while a good attempt, the writers dealt with social anxiety and suicide quite poorly. There was a lot of forcing oneself to change by the supporting characters at first, which was annoying at times. Depression was also dealt with poorly (sleeping it off, not seeing a therapist???) I did not really care for a lot of the side stories, namely Il Woo and Yi Soo's toxic relationship and Hwan Gi and his dad. I loved the main characters but really hated it that they made Ji Hye like Hwan Gi too. These two buttercups already had to go through so much to be together and that was just the cherry on top. Idk, I ended up skipping some parts or just zoning out in the middle of episodes.
Characters
I loved loved and absolutely adored our main leads. Legit attacking everyone who found Ro Woon annoying, I think she was fabulous all the way through. Quirky, lovable, not afraid to stand up for herself, but understandably going through a rough time. I loved how they talked about how she's always so happy that by the end of the day, she is exhausted. I felt that to be so relatable. The main lead was one I have never seen. I got so much second hand embarrassment watching him in the first few episodes but grew to love him for him. Again, did not care or like most of the other characters, especially Il Woo and Yi Soo and that reporter dude. The only members of Silent Monster I cared for was Yoo Hee and Gyo Ri.
Things I liked!
Bomb dot com ost. So so good. Not a single song I don't like.
Great chemistry! Actual good kiss scenes! Very adorable guitar playing and dancing. Def needed more of this.
The development between Ro Woon and her dad. Very touching.
So yeah, def enjoyable but also difficult to describe how I feel.
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Story-8/10: It was a cute story, but there were 2 different dramas in one. One was an office romance and a mystery drama on another. The writing improved throughout the story. That's why the score is a little bit higher score than I would of scored. The some characters were well written, but there were characters that not as well written. I also felt that I missed something as the drama ended. I felt that the mystery wasn't finished then got forgotten.
Acting-8/10: Hwan Ki was the best character of all time. I can teamsters to him. He was just so much fun to watch him get out of his shell, little by little. Ro Woon was a little hard to like at first, but then she get more likable as the series goes on. The chemistry between Hwan Ki and Ro Woon was very good. Woo Il was a call brushing character. There were times that I didn't like him, but there were also times that he was totally adorable(I think it was the fault of the writing). I just couldn't choose to like him or not at times. The co-workers in this series were funny and endearing.
Music-7/10- some songs were cutes but didn't really remember them. The songs fit the scenes.
Re-watch or not?: I would probably watch this again if so want something easy to watch type of show.
Overall-8/10: What this for the character development, the actors/actresses, the comedy and easy to watch shows with heart.
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Warm inside, cold outside
My Shy Boss is a drama that you could find a bit unexpectedly creative. A bit cliché here and there (especially here :p), but overall this warm, kind and exaggeratedly shy boss (to the point it's an illness with quite serious consequences for his entourage) is a character very well written.This shows especially in his work, his one true form, which is clearly the point I liked the most in this drama. A bright and creative man that, despite his creativity, get stucked in a position where his illness is interpreted either as incompetence or intransigence... and even cruelty.
But because of it, it's a real pleasure in this drama to discover the true intentions of this 'super male tsundere' : for the viewers, it almost becomes an exercise, a switch in this drama that lean towards the detective genre with a mystery to uncover.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the cue for the drama to also switch pace and rhythm midway : and with this many turnpoints (a melodrama, then an office romance, then a business drama, then finally a romance ?), it becomes a little harder for the viewers to understand and appreciate where the authors want to go. Especially when the romance, as sweet as it can get, never seems to reach a peak. To me, that's the real reason why this drama isn't much more loved : without reaching a culminating point, the viewers can't address their frustrations as the drama develops further without so much at stake.
Now, I still think you should watch this show for the creativity alone found on the first few episodes, and along with the sweet romance, the funny and mischievious support characters, and some melodramatic punchlines that shows every bit of the efforts put into this drama, this is an easy watch providing that you're not expecting too much from it either.
The actors have done their best to ensure you enjoy the ride on a warm feeling, and that could be enough if you're feeling a bit cold inside.
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